Deadliest Sin
by Effervescent Dreamer
Summary: After Yugi is taken by the Orichalos Seal, Yami seeks solace, trying to keep from steeping his soul in further darkness. And if he's not careful, he could pull another innocent soul under with him.


Deadliest Sin

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

If you asked him where he was, or more specifically, what state of mind he was in, he'd have a hard time answering. He knew he was alive, however he hardly noticed his chest rising and falling with every breath he took. He felt detached and numb, as if his mind was wandering a different plane of existence, yet there was a weight lying on his heart. Grief, an emotion that threatened to drown him as it wrapped around and settled itself with a terrifying iciness over his soul.

His soul.

His soul was thought to be the dark entity of a soul whose aura was filled with such a brilliance, that it glowed and he was the shadow that it cast off. This wasn't true. He was separate in mind and soul, but not in body. The body belonged to the pure spirit that had cruelly been taken away and he was the monster who inhabited it. A creature of absolute darkness. Yami.

He let a wry smirk grace the young visage. How fitting.

He had been born in a place where pyramids stood proudly and never bowed to the scorching rays that bore down on them as relentless winds whipped through the endless expanse of desert. He had been a king and warrior. Someone whose destiny was to fiercely guard the lives of his people and make sacrifices when necessary. However somewhere between being pharaoh and the king of games, he had lost his sense of compassion and because of it, not only was brutally taught a lesson of humility, but his other half allowed himself to be ripped away from him.

Yami stared at the sleeping figures of his friends, if they still permitted him to call them friends. Joey and Tristan were both slumped in overstuffed chairs, heads lolled, drool leaking from the corners of their mouths. The former pharaoh managed a small smile, he was still surprised at times at the knowledge of them not being twins.

Duke was stretched out on the leather couch that wasn't too far from the trailer's kitchen, back facing the world, his body somewhat curled in on himself. It was the closest to looking vulnerable, Yami had ever seen in the strong willed creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters. Though he couldn't see them, Yami had a pretty good feeling that the professor was sound asleep in his bed as was his granddaughter Rebecca in her own. He cringed as the thought of Rebecca, most likely clinging to her teddy bear while picturing it to be the boy she had declared her love to.

Yugi.

Yami inhaled sharply, the grief that his friends were exuding coupled with his own was overwhelming. He staggered out of the trailer, lungs greedily taking in the fresh night air. He clenched both of his hands, narrowed his eyes and tried to take deep even breaths. Anything to prevent his body from crumbling to the ground and unleashing the devastated, feral cry that he desperately wished could be ripped from his chest. But yelling out to the night wouldn't bring Yugi back.

As he struggled to cling to his sanity, the faint sounds of pop music reached his ears. Surprised, he saw Tea with headphones on dancing under the moonlight. Being caught up in the glow of the heavenly body gave her an ethereal look, her skin glistening like porcelain, hair a halo of scarlet. Tea's eyes, Yami's favorite part of the girl were the purest sapphire he had ever seen.

She danced, not unlike the time they had traipsed to the arcade together while set up thanks to Yugi's sly ways. Yet as Yami looked closer, he saw that the fluid movements the girl was known for were a bit stiffened as though she were burdened. There was no doubt that she was missing her best friend, the one she had known since childhood. And he, Yami, had been the one to take her friend away.

Tea caught Yami's eye mid-twirl and due to her embarrassment, stumbled only to be caught and held in Yami's strong arms before she struck the ground. She laughed sheepishly. "Just thought I'd get some fresh air. I didn't realize how lost in the music I had become."

"You had gotten lost in the music the last time I saw you dance, too," Yami replied as he helped her to a straighter position.

"At least I was able to stay in reality just in time to catch Johnny up to no good," Tea reminisced, smiling at the memory. Her smile then faded. "But this time, I wish I didn't have to face reality." Her voice became faint as she tried to swallow the tears that clogged her throat.

Yami saw her eyes water and her lower lip tremble as she fought to keep her smile on her face and her persona sparkling. "Tea, I know you," He began. "You're no doll, you don't need to adapt a stoic façade." He wet his suddenly dry lips. "It's okay to cry, you don't have to fight the pain."

Without pretense, Tea collapsed in his arms and began to sob her heart out. "I miss him so much!" She cried. Yami wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Tea, I'm so sorry. It's my fault, all my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish!"

Tea raised her fist and struck his chest weakly, though the meaning behind it was meant to be a true blow, similar to the one Joey had succeeded in giving him earlier. "Don't you dare," She growled, looking up at him, eyes glittering feverishly.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened. You made the wrong choice yes, but when looking at the meaning hidden between the lines, it was for the right reasons!" She then poked him sharply. "I know that, the gang knows that and Yugi knows it too! That's why he allowed the Seal to take him away! So that you could discover this reason for yourself. Don't let him down!"

As Yami gazed at the girl who was speaking with such passion, it was then that he realized how attached he was to her, not just attracted. She was forbidden territory in a manner of speaking however. Yami knew of the bond Yugi shared with Tea and the subsequent feelings he harbored for her as a result. He also saw Tea as pure like Yugi, her fiesty attitude that surfaced at times was not to be confused with darkeness. He hesitated, not wanting to taint her soul, to steep it in the darkness that was his own soul.

_I've already damned my soul today, why not just continue to throw caution to the wind?_

He decided for once that he would be selfish and greedy and take the kisses that he so coveted. With that in mind, he proceeded to crush his mouth against hers, relieved when she returned the kiss.

If only for tonight he would give into one of his sins.


End file.
